Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-01-20
THE MESSAGE.
Governor Martins Message to the
Kansas Legislature.


Following is Governor Martins message
sent to the Kansas Legislature on the 18th:
To the Senate and House Of Representatives.:
To be elected Chief Executive Of this great,
Intelligent and progressive State for a second
term, is q distinguished honor. And trust 1t
Is not inappropriate for me to express to the peo
pie of Kansas, through you, their chosen repre-
sentatives, my grateful appreciation Of their
generous confidence my profound sense OF the
responsibilities devolved upon me, and my
earnest hope that may, by an honest, faithful
and conscientious performance Of my official
duties, in some measure justify the faith they
have reposed in me.
The growth OF Kansas. during the past two
years, has been extraordinary. The census Of
March 1, 1884, gave the State a population Of
1,135,614; that of March 1, 1856, showed an in
crease to 400, 738; and our population now ex-
ceeds 100000. Since the first of January, 1885,
fifteen new counties have been organized. These
counties had, at the date Of their organization,
an aggregate population Of 1884, and they
polled at the November election, (three not
votingO total Of 1S. 10S votes. They include q
territorial area Of II, 55 square miles. Only two
Of the one hundred counties of the State, en-
bracing an area Of / $50 square miles, remain
to be organized.
During the same period, two cities, Wichita
and Kansas City, have been organized as cities
Of the first class, and thirteen, Cherryvale, abb
lene, Eureka, Minneapolis, Anthony, Ell Dorado,
Seneca, Weir. Great Bend, Dodge City, Larned,
Hutchinson and South Topeka, as cities Of the
second class.
Two years ago the railway mileage Of Kansas
aggregated only 4,4s6h miles, assessed at S2s,-
IS, 500 sc, and traversing seventythree counties
Of the State. To-day Kansas has 8 $50 miles Of
completed railway. the assessed value Of which
is fully Ss9, OO0 These lines traverse eighty
six Of our one hundred counties.
In 1884 the assessed value Of all the property
Of the State was &237 02O, 391; for 1885 it was
e277 ,575, 353 We had, then, 13,O11,3 1913 acres In
cultivation; last year we had IL, 473 495 acres.
These figures indicate the constant growth Of
the State. They illustrate, also, not only the
faith our own citizens have in the future Of Kan
kas, but the confidence the people Of other States
end countries feel In its substantial and contin-
nous development. The influx of foreign capital
knd enterprise hos, indeed, surpassed that Of
any other period in the States history. The
railroad building OF the past year has been phe-
nomenal, far exceeding that accomplished dur
ing any previous season. The growth Of our
cities and towns, also, has been unexampled in
the history Of any State; and the rapid, steady
and, in some instances, extravagant increase In
property values, is remarkable.
You, gentlemen of the Legislature, are assem-
bled to make laws for this great State. In your
hands, also, rests all authority to levy taxes and
direct the expenditure of the public revenues.
In large measure, therefore, the honor and vel
fare OF the commonwealth and the prosperity
end happiness of its people depend upon your
action. The different State and bureau officers
and the boards having charge of our public insti-
buttons will all submit to you for your information
and consideration, their biennial papers. trust
you will examine these reports carefully, to the
end that you may act upon the suggestions or
recommendations they embody with delibera-
ton and justice. It Is natural that each officer
charged with the performance OF specific duties,
and each board appointed to manage public
trust, should believe that the interests and
needs OF his or its department are most i'm
portant and pressing. Consider carefully oil the
recommendations thus made, but bear in mind
at the same time the interests and needs Of the
people. The year just closed has not been, in
many respects, prosperous season. The crops
have been short, epidemics have brought heavy
losses upon stock raisers, the prices Of all cere-
ais and stock have ruled low, and many of our
citizens are feeling the stress Of the widespread
Industrial depression. Economy in all appropri
atoms made for the ensuing biennial period, is,
therefore, alike desirable and necessary. No
good citizen will complain concerning public
expenditure shown to be essential; all have o
right to complain II, during such q period as the
present. unnecessary expenditures are author
lied. .
NEW COUNTIES.
Fifteen new counties have been organized
during the past two years, viz: Comanche Feb
ruary "a, Clark, May, 5, Thomas, October 8, and
Meade, November 4, 1885 and Hamilton, Janu-
airy 90, Kiowa, March %, Cheyenne, April 1,
Lane, June s, Seward, June II. Scott, June
90 Sfavone AM0r,cf Q Cnya Sahfprnhop Chor-
man, September 20, Morton, November IS, and
Wichita, December "a, 1885,
Should the Legislature, by changes In county
lines, create additional counties, earnestly
recommend that the law governing their organ
ization be made more specific in its directions.
1t is, in its present form, confusing and made
quate.
1.-The Governor refers to the exciting contests
that follow the organization Of new counties, the
difficulty the Executive has to meet In locating
county seats and determining the legal voters,
and suggests that he be authorized to appoint
some citizen Of the State not resident Of the
county as census taker.]
STATE FINANCES
The reports of the Auditor and Treasurer fur
nish detailed and satisfactory exhibit Of the
financial transactions Of the State for the last
biennial period. During the two years covered
by these reports the receipts Of the treasury
Including balance Of SIS, 512.O7 on hand July
/, 1880, aggregated $3.50, 1878, and the dis
bursements for the same period were $780,,
s94.17 leaving balance in the treasury June 80,
1886, OF e5s4, S7S.16.
The total bonded debt OF the State on the list
Of January, 1857, was ssSO,50O, showing reduc-
ton since January !, 1885, Of sos, 900. OF the
debt outstanding only ee5e,0 600 Of bonds remain
In the hands Of individuals and corporations,
s574, 500 being held by different State funds The
permanent school fund holds 355S, 500; the sink
ing fund, $4,000, and the University fund,
% ,OOO
The bonds and securities in the Treasury on
the s1st day Of December, 1880, aggregated g.,
sc, GO, as follows: Permanent school fund
bonds, A0Ol .06; sinking fund bonds, $4,000;
fund bonds, S106, 1853; normal school
fund bonds, 81 ,40; Agricultural College endow-
ment fund bonds, s43S, O6669; Agricultural Col
lege notes and contracts, S48,7T.6&
From July 1 to December 81, 1886, the receipts
of the State Treasury were as follows: From
taxes. S454.074.1; from penitentiary earnings,
81 ,sOS47 from insane asylnms, S621 from State
Librarian, sales Of Supreme Court Reports,
b ,34.5O; from the Insurance Department, SlO,-
la4.9s; from sales Of school lands, principal,
E2SG 5OS.66; from sales Of school lands, interest
FLAG, as5.A; nom sales Of University lands,
principal, 6,953.78, and interest, 1897 81;
from sales Of Normal School lands, principal,
Is, $3.50. and interest, S3904.65; from sales Of
Agricultural College lands principal, S23 "a,
and interest, A,496.64; from principal Of county,
and school district bonds, ea5, 20 II,
and from interest on same, 1924 81. H. from sale
Of State bonds, S9,105; and from miscellaneous
sources, e12S-haking q total Of d. ,577.94,
which, added to the balance on hand June 80,
1886, makes . total of d ,SO6. S51.10.
The disbursements during the same six
months were as follows: On warrants drawn
by State Auditor, ssh .667 .06; drawn by School
Fund Commissioners, 5,6S9S9; by State Su-
OF Public Instruction, e242 47O.S1
by Regents Of Normal School, 81, 5000; BY Agri-
cultural College Loan Commissioners, e65e;
BY Regents Of Agricultural College, 14,9aS; on
payment Of State bonds, 81, 900; and on pay
n, emf nf 1non,,rxa aQo sG0 rnalrin<. fetal a